Nadal's comeback continues apace

Rafael Nadal's comeback continued without a hitch on Thursday, as the Spaniard - along with partner Juan Monaco - eased into the semi-finals of the doubles at the VTR Open in Vina del Mar.

Nadal, who made his singles return with a victory on Wednesday, continued his seamless progress in Chile, as he and Monaco defeated Guillaume Rufin and Filippo Volandri 6-2 7-6(4) to move into the last four.

The Spanish/Argentine duo's victory was built on bulletproof service games, with the pair winning 86 per cent of their first serve points and, as a result, avoiding being broken once in the 75-minute match.

Nadal and Monaco will now face Carlos Berlocq and Leonardo Mayer for a place in the final, after they beat fourth seeds Oliver Marach and Horacio Zeballos 6-2 6-4.

In the singles competition it was a mixed day for Spanish competitors - as Tommy Robredo and third seed Pablo Andujar succumbed in straight sets to Paolo Lorenzi and Horacio Zeballos respectively.

There was success elsewhere, however - as Albert Montanes won 6-4 6-4 against compatriot Daniel Gimeno-Traver, while fifth seed Albert Ramos held his nerve to defeat Italian Filippo Volandri in three sets.

Ramos dropped the first set of the match, but put the disappointment to one side to eventually win 6-7(5) 6-3 7-5 in a match that took nearly two-and-a-half hours.